Bet on Barbera, What the Winemakers Drink

Don't let the other 'B' wines (Barolo and Barbaresco) from Italy's Piedmont region steal the spotlight

WSJ's wine columnist Will Lyons looks beyond Germany's famed white wine to its up-and-coming reds many of which, such as Karl Johner's Kaiserstuhl Pinot Noir, are earning a reputation as some of the most interesting of their type.

WINEMAKERS IN ITALY have cultivated thousands of grape varieties over the years, but only a few have won wide appeal, let alone international acclaim. (The French, with grapes like Pinot Noir and Cabernet, have proven much better at that sort of thing.) And yet there are dozens of Italian varieties that merit a much larger following, or even perhaps a spotlight of their own.

One of my top candidates for a starring turn would be Barbera, a red grape of Italy's Piedmont region. It's the most widely planted red grape of the district, though not its best known (that would be Nebbiolo, the grape of the famed wines Barolo and Barbaresco).

Barbera has plenty of qualities that would seem to make it a likely household name: fairly soft tannins, an ability to age well, and bright, lively acidity. Thanks to its versatile nature, it is also one of the easiest wines in the world to pair with food.

Jeffrey Porter, beverage director of Del Posto, Babbo and Lupa restaurants in New York, calls Barbera his restaurants' "Pinot Noir," in reference to its food-friendly nature. Mr. Porter, who has amassed a huge collection of fancy Barolos on his list at Del Posto, notes that Barbera is also one of his go-to wines. "We even have an aged Barbera on our list at Del Posto that we pair with a seafood stew," he noted.

Oenofile: Five Barbera Beauties

While Barbera and Pinot Noir may share the virtue of mixing well with food, Barbera bests Pinot Noir in terms of price-quality ratio. It's almost impossible to find a good bottle of Pinot Noir for $15, but an excellent Barbera often costs much less.

So why hasn't Barbera inspired the same sort of rabid following as Pinot Noir? Why are there so many self-proclaimed "Pinot-philes" but relatively few "Barbera-ites"? One of the problems may be Barbera's bewildering variety of types. Barbera comes in so many guises—from big, broad-shouldered examples to light-bodied and charming wines—that would-be Barbera drinkers don't necessarily know what they'll find.

There's also the matter of how the wine is made, which can vary and further confuse drinkers. Some Barberas are aged in new French barriques (small barrels), which impart perceptible tannins and a certain spicy bouquet, while others are aged in several years old large barrels. Some go directly into stainless steel tanks, producing wines that are fresh and juicy but not very complex.

ENLARGE

Illustration by Marcus Butt for The Wall Street Journal

And then there's the added wrinkle of geographic diversity. Although Barbera is produced in various regions of Italy, it is best in three subregions of Piedmont. Unfortunately, each one of these places is also home to a more famous grape. Take, for example, Asti. Although the region is one of the best places to grow Barbera, it is also where Moscato is grown. Moscato is currently one of the most popular grapes in the world. (It's the grape of Asti Spumante, a less than brilliant but well-marketed wine.) In the other two regions, Monferrato and Alba, the Nebbiolo grape reigns supreme. Many of the best Alba vineyards are devoted to Nebbiolo. (The terroir of each region imparts a certain style as well—Asti wines tend to be more rustic and dense; Alba wines are often lighter, more refined.)

Many of the best Barolo producers also make Barbera—in fact, it is the wine that many say they often drink at home. That's how Lorena Ascencios, head wine buyer of Astor Wines & Spirits in New York, sells Barbera. "Drink what the winemakers drink," she tells her customers.

‘Barbera has plenty of qualities that would seem to make it a likely household name. Why are there so few 'Barbera-ites'?’

There are also the Barbera specialists who have staked their reputation on the grape and don't make Barolo at all. The most famous of these producers would be the late Giacomo Bologna of Braida winery in Asti, who is credited with making the first "serious" Barbera in the 1980s, when he created Bricco dell'Uccellone. He made the then-radical decision to age his wine in barriques—something others have since done as well, though not always successfully.

And then there are the Barolo producers, like Vietti of Castiglione Falletto, who are committed to both grapes. Vietti's enologist Luca Currado produces great Barolo but aspires to make great Barbera too. In a recent phone call, Mr. Currado recalled how in 1989 he tore out top Barolo vineyards to plant Barbera, much to the horror of his father. "It was in the heart of Scarrone," he recalled, naming a famous vineyard. "My idea was that if we want Barbera to be the best wine, it must be from the best land," he explained. "A good Barbera, like a good Barolo, can only be made from good land."

Mr. Currado, who makes a number of different Barolos and Barberas, including the much-praised Scarrone wine under the Vietti label, believes there has been a Barbera renaissance in the past decade or so. "We sell more Barbera than any other wine by far," Mr. Currado said. "More growers are planting it and the market has really grown—probably the result of the price of Barolo," he added. (A Barolo can cost three or four times the price of a Barbera from the same estate.)

I recently bought 16 bottles of Barbera at prices ranging from $10 to $52 at stores around New York. I found the largest number of wines at Astor Wines & Spirits and the Wine Library in Springfield, N.J. (The Wine Library's wine director, Ian Dorin, said that he makes lots of friends selling Barbera, which he calls the "Goldilocks of wine—with something that's 'just right' for everyone.")

I bought wines from all the key appellations: Asti, Alba, Monferrato and basic Piedmont bottlings as well. (There are lots of Barberas produced under this simple, catchall appellation.) I bought some Barberas designated as "Superiore"—wines that are higher in alcohol and subject to minimum aging requirements in barrel and bottle. I bought a wide range of vintages, too, from 2006 to 2012.

Some of the wines were very young and bright, with lots of red cherry fruit and spice, while others were large-framed, tannic and dense. The diversity was impressive, if possibly somewhat bewildering for a Barbera neophyte. But, of the wines that I purchased, there were only a few that I didn't like, and there were several that I really loved—particularly the 2011 Brovia Ciaböt del Fi Barbera at $32, which was pretty much my Barbera platonic ideal, with a beautiful texture and just the right balance of acidity and fruit.

"Why are there so many self-proclaimed "Pinot-philes" but relatively few 'Barbera-ites'?" C'mon, Lettie, I think we all know the answer! Barbera is *nice*. It usually represents a good value - especially in restaurants, and it pairs well with a variety of dishes. When I drink a good Barbera, I enjoy it. But I've yet to encounter a Barbera that transports me to that magical place a great pinot noir - or a great Barolo - can. I've had several *good* Barbera's, but they've yet to "bend my knees" like a great Barolo or Burgundy...

There are certainly some delicious Barbera's being made now, but their aging potential has yet to be demonstrated. I have 2003s in my cellar that are already dead. Most are not made in a style to allow of long term drinking. However, for what they are, the rapport prix-qualité is excellent.

The suthor's first sentence is confused and misleading. Italian varietals have not been successfully grown outside of Italy, but are hugely successful as commercial exports. There is far more Italian Sangiovese wine sold internationally than French Pinot Noir.

I agree that Barbera should be on very wine lover"s list. I look for it whenever I eat Italian, as it pairs very well with food, and is often more reasonable in price than its bigger more famous brothers.

I have enjoyed Barbera from VJB Vineyard & Cellars in Sonoma for several years. It is lovely. I was happy to see this in the WSJ...until I realized it might create competition for the supply of one of my favorite wines!

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